The HSR will get the most ridership by connecting urban centers. So the station should be located as close to the center as logically possible and be designed as an inter or multi modal station where people have the choice of what transit to take. I think a light rail around Madison connecting to this station is a good idea because once people arrive from the HSR they feel that they have arrived in Madison. Adding an extra trip from the airport is not the arrival experience that encourages ridership in the intermediate distance; people will drive in order to feel like they arrive where they need to be.

I am not filmier with the location that Mr. Gore proposes, but local people usually know best. The train platforms will need to be on the order of 1400 feet long for HSR, but a lot of these problems can be solved with creative solutions.

What the WDOT should really do is support a design competition for the new station to bring in ideas and spur conversation about the best solution.

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/localgov/docs/railmap.pdf

Page 3 “▪ Yahara Station is on the same, existing mainline track owned by WSOR as evaluated for the airport and Pennsylvania Ave. stations.”

Certainly the HSR can stop at the airport, but skipping the city misses out on the majority of the potential ridership. And even with a LRT line there is no duplication of service, as the systems serve different needs.

“You sacrifice the redundancy built into an intermodal airport-rail station.”

Redundancy, would be good, but that scenario is much much more the exception rather than the normal ridership.

Skipping the city will hurt ridership, as it adds more time to the travel.

Finally, the airport site simply doesn’t allow for economic development… i.e. TOD

The Yahara Station is not on the planned route. Even a glance at wisdot’s map indicates the airport is accessed at Union Corners.

We have to have an airport link even if you build the First/Yahara station. So you’re wasting dollars and duplicating service, because they’ll have to build light rail to the airport anyway. So, thanks for

You sacrifice the redundancy built into an intermodal airport-rail station. Heavy snow, fog at O’Hare, air traffic controller’s union goes on strike, or a terrorist attack—switching to rail won’t be a problem. But here in Madison, everybody gets stranded &.or inconvenienced, and it’s no problem for you, because Madison’s parochial needs came before the region’s transportation needs.

Which leads to the fact that regional HSR is not built to serve Madison’s self-interest. It’s built to better serve travelers across the region. Not Todd McGrath. Not Madison. Where the HSR route slows down regional rail service, it has to be put back on a realistic route—and back to the ariport location.

Also, no one noticed you have to walk a full block from First Street to the Rail station???? NOWHERE do you have to do that at real railroad stations. At worst you cross a couple lanes of traffic to board the train. That set-up is masssively inconvenient, even amateurish. This location was selected to serve the developers of adjacent parcels, who aren’t responsible enough to move on projects on their own.